We must all come to this point in our lives if we truly want Christ to forgive us of our sins. Sin is anything that causes us to miss the mark of God’s Holiness and perfection. Only God can take care of our sin problem.

Realize that there is a penalty for your sin. Romans 6: 23 Revelations 21: 8

We all know that we are going to die, but dying without Christ means that we will be eternally separated from God. The Bible tells us that everyone who has not accepted Christ as their Savior will spend eternity in Hell.

Acknowledge that Jesus paid the penalty for you. Romans 5: 8

God loved each one of us so much that He gave his only Son Jesus to bear our sin and die in our place on a cross. We can’t really understand it, but Jesus became our substitute for judgment. If we accept Him, we won’t have to spend eternity in Hell.

Acknowledge that Christ wants to give you the “free gift” of eternal life in Heaven.

Romans 6: 23

If someone gives you a gift, it is not truly yours until you accept it and take it. God is offering you this wonderful gift freely, but you must receive it. You don’t have to be good enough for it, because no person can be good enough of their own accord. All any person has to do is just receive the gift and fully accept it.

Believe in Christ and ask Him to be your Savior. Romans 10: 9 – 10, 13

There are two things that we must do to receive Christ. First we must “confess”, or tell God verbally that we are a sinner and that Jesus is the only one who can cleanse us. Second, we must “believe”. We have to believe in our heart that Jesus died, was buried, rose again, and that He is the only way for us to obtain Salvation.

All you have to do is just ask Him and He will forgive you of your sins and cleanse your heart. Than you will be His true Child.

Nothing else in your life is as important as where you will spend eternity. God says that in order to go to Heaven a person must be Born Again.

Please contact our church and let us know if you have accepted Christ in your life.

People try many different things to be happy. For some happiness means going through life always having the finest material things, wearing designer clothing, having expensive houses, cars, etc. Others like to have prestige and power so that others look up to them. For others still, it could be many different other things. None of these things are bad in themselves, but REAL happiness comes from understanding your purpose in life.

Why are we really here?

God made each one of us because He loved us. He created us so that we could have a personal relationship with Him. There is a void in each of us that only He can fill. We will never be able to fill it with material things, money, prestige, power or anything else that is of this world.

Jeremiah 31: 3 – “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” KJV

Ephesians 1: 4 – 5 – “Even before the world was made, God had already chosen us to be His through our union with Christ … because of His love. God had already decided that through Jesus Christ He would make us His children – this was God’s pleasure and purpose.” GN

When we seek God and love Him with all our hearts, we live in harmony with His purpose for our lives. Because He loves us so much and only wants the best for us, our lives can be much better than anything we have ever known before. We can have a peace as we go through a time of turmoil or trouble in our lives that only God is able to give. He goes with us as we encounter different things in our lives, and helps us to get through them victoriously. There is no other person or thing in this world that can do that.

Why are so many people so unhappy?

Man has a natural desire to live selfishly and do his own thing. So many people feel that it’s their life and they can do whatever they please with it. Or some go by the saying “If it feels good, do it” no matter what God’s Word says about the matter. The Bible tells us that this attitude is foolish.

Isaiah 53: 6 – All of us, like sheep, have gone astray, and each of us has turned to his own way.

I John 1: 8 – If we say that we never sin, we are only fooling ourselves, and refuse to accept the truth.

Romans 3: 23 – For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

When our relationship with God is not right, then there are problems in every other area of our lives – marriage, career, relationships, finances, etc.

Many times when we have huge problems, we try everything else we can think of before we will turn to God to help us. If we could just understand how much He loves us and desires to bless us, then He would be the very first one we went to.

Also, many people think that they can get to heaven because their mother was a Christian, or they were just a good moral person.

What is the answer to my problem?

John 14: 6 – Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus came to earth in the form of man and lived just as we live. He knows all of our emotions, feelings, etc., because He experienced them as a human being. He is the one and only way that we can reach God. Jesus is our intercessor to the Father because He knows exactly how we feel. He knows how much God loves us and always wants the VERY BEST for each of our lives. Jesus has already taken care of our SIN problem

Romans 6: 23 – The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5: 8 – God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were still separated from God by sin, Christ died for us.

God has already done His part to restore our relationship to Him. Now it is up to each person individually to accept what He has already done for us.

Believe that Jesus is God’s Son, that He died on the cross in your place, and that He rose from the dead.

Romans 10: 9 – If you confess that Jesus is your Lord, and you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Acts 4: 12 – Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name by which we must be saved.

Accept God’s free gift of salvation by asking Jesus to come into your heart and life. He has already done the only thing for us that can restore us to God – there is nothing that we can do on our own merit.

John 1: 12 – Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.

Allow Jesus Christ to take control of your life as your Lord and Savior.

Colossians 3: 10 – So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

You can give your life to Christ by praying the following simple prayer to God:

Dear Father,

Thanks for making me, and for loving me! I know that I have sinned and need your forgiveness. I know that Jesus is God’s Son and that He died on the cross in my place. Please forgive me for going my own selfish way. I want to turn away from my sin and turn to you to lead me in the right way to go. Please forgive me of all my sin and come into my life. I want to trust you completely as my Savior and commit to follow you as my one true God. Please change my life and make me new inside. I ask all this in the name of Jesus. Amen

Romans 10: 13 – Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

If you prayed the prayer above, please contact our church and let us know. We would love to talk with you and send you some helpful information that can assist you in growing in Christ.

If it is really your desire to know the truth about God – really know the truth – then you are a “seeker”.

Matthew 7: 7-8 – Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

According to the Bible, if you are truly seeking God, you will be able to find him. “True Seekers” are all different kinds of people that have a variety of different backgrounds. Being a “Seeker” means that you truly want to find a way to connect with him. You’ve stopped pretending that you have it all together and are open to the possibility that God does exist and that He wants a very important place in your life. You may already know that He exists and are already in church serving Him the best way that you know how. Still you may think that you know about Him – but don’t really KNOW Him.

Why do you really want to know God? Is it just to get something from Him or to really get to know Him on His level?

People seek God for many different reasons. Some are just into religion and feel that if they go to church and become a part of all the programs, that God is pleased with them. Others are looking for God to help them out of some big problem, or give them relief from pain in their lives. For most people to become a “true seeker”, though, they have to get to the point that they are miserable in the condition that their life is in at the moment. As long as you are satisfied with the way your life is, you won’t have a desire for anything better.

Please do some soul-searching and really find out why you want to know God. If you want to find him for any other reason than just to “know” Him, then your motivation is wrong. In the world, a person’s success is gauged by money, prestige, material things, power, etc. God has a different plan for our success than what we might think we want. His plan will always be for our very best, but if we are not seeking Him just to “know” Him, then we might be disappointed.

It is good to ask yourself the questions “What am I looking for?” and “What does God offer me?”

If you will read the Bible, you will see how much God has given to you already. Since He always has your best interest at heart, He might not give you the exact thing you have asked for. You should always expect the unexpected, and make it your goal to find Who God Is – no matter what the outcome. What everything comes down to is that a person who is really “seeking” God learns to seek His Face, and not just what they can get from the gifts of His Hands.

Are you placing limitations on God?

We, as just fleshly people, are not able to see the whole picture as God can. He created us to have a close relationship with Him, as well as with others. He wants us to live this life in a way that lines up with His purpose for it. Even though we may think that we have everything figured out and know what is best for us, God always knows what’s best. We can always trust Him with our lives because He will never leave or forsake us, and He always has our best interest at heart.

God wants to be a powerful presence in each of our lives, not just an idea in our heads. God will take you as you are, but He doesn’t want to leave you that way. He wants each of us to let Him make us into whatever He wants us to be. In the long run, that will always be a thousand times better than anything we could ever dream up ourselves.

What do you think about Jesus?

Our intellectual mind wants to decide if there is a God, and then try to figure out who Jesus is. Many “seekers” discover that when they deal with the person of Jesus, they find answers to many other questions.

Is there a God?

Yes, and He came to earth in human form in the person of Jesus Christ. John 16: 28 – I (Jesus) came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.

Does God love me?

Yes He does. John 3: 16 – 17 – For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world though Him.

What does God want from you?

God wants a personal relationship with you. He wants you to become a member of a church that teaches His Word unashamedly. He also wants you to be a member of a church that believes that Jesus is the Son of God, that he was born of a virgin, that He died and rose again, that He lives right now interceding for His children to the Father on their behalf, and that one day He will come again to received all His children up to Heaven to live with Him forever. He wants you to be a vital member of a church that teaches these things so that you can grow and become a mature Christian.

What do I have to do to live forever?

Accept Jesus as your Savior and make Him Lord of your life. John 6: 40 – For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise Him up at the last day.

How can I experience meaning and purpose in life?

You can do this by following Jesus and growing in a personal relationship with Him. The church is the tool that He has chosen on earth to proclaim His wishes to the world. When you join the one that you feel God is leading you to, you can also begin to cultivate true Christian fellowship with other Christians. Then you can start to encourage each other and be there for each other in times of trials or problems. God meant for His Church to be a lighthouse for the world to see so that others could see that Christians handle things differently than people in the world do.

According to the Bible, you must come to terms with Jesus before you can have a relationship to God. Jesus is the way to God. He is the most influential person in history. He was a poor itinerant preacher, and the poor son of a carpenter, but He changed the entire course of world history.

No person really searching spiritually can overlook him. Because of Him, world history was split into two eras – B. C. and A. D. – before Him and after Him.

How will you respond to Jesus?

It is not enough to just have a head knowledge of Jesus. You can read and believe every word of the Bible, believe that Jesus walked on earth and lived a perfect life, that He died, that He rose again from the dead, and that He will come again one day to claim His Bride. But first of all, you must take a step of faith and receive Him into your life and believe that He paid the debt you owe for your sin but could never pay yourself. After this, you will need to get in a church that can disciple you so that you can become a mature Christian. Salvation is a free gift, but you must respond personally and deliberately, or the gift will remain unopened and unenjoyed.

You can receive Jesus into your heart right now. It’s as simple as saying the following prayer and really meaning it.

“Jesus, I acknowledge my sin and Your payment for it on the cross. I now ask You to forgive me of my sins and be my Heavenly Father. Show me what I need to do to live a life where I can be useable by you. Also please give me a passion for you and a desire to read and understand your Word. Help me to put you first in everything that I do. Please show me your ways.”

Some Practical Helps

Keeping in mind the previous questions, here are some practical ideas to guide you in your spiritual search:

Ask God to reveal Himself if you’re not sure He’s there.

Read the Bible by starting with the New Testament books of John, Acts and Romans.

Talk to people who have a genuine relationship with God – those who really love Him and who live by a different set of principles.

Spend time in nature, observing and experiencing God’s creation.

Always love truth and question things for your own self to make sure they are really truth and not just another person’s opinions.

Ask God-followers why they believe what they believe and how they know their beliefs are true.

Recognize that God must make sense, and that His truth may go beyond your logical reasoning in the flesh.

Look at Christian bookstores of church libraries for good books to read that can answer more of your questions. You can also ask Christian friends for authors who have inspired them in their Christian walk.

Write down your questions about everything and take them to a knowledgeable Christian who you think you can trust to explain the truth.

Try not to let the things you already believe or have been taught for years keep you from your quest of the truth.

Keep a journal of your feelings and thoughts during your search.

Remember that what has happened in your past can very much influence your present ability to be objective about the things of God.

Determine to seek God until you find Him and then act on that informatio

There is no time in life that parallels the early years in building character. God has given us the awesome responsibility of laying the spiritual foundations in our children’s lives. Jesus teaches us that children have the right and the keys to the kingdom of God. He demonstrated this through blessing and touching. Our goal in response to the Biblical mandate is to maintain a safe, secure and loving place where children may grow; a place where caregivers, teachers, and leaders (both paid and volunteer) may minister appropriately to their needs.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT at 6 pm there is Cherub Choir for 3 – 5 year olds. They enjoy singing and doing motions to the songs.

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Children’s Department and Ministries

The Children’s Department is divided into the following classes for Sunday School: Kindergarten, Grades 1-3 and Grades 4-6.

On Sunday evening at 5 pm they have Bible classes which teach them how to find the books of the Bible, learn memory verses, and what the verses mean. They are divided into Grades 1 – 3 and Grades 4 – 6.WEDNESDAY ACTVITIES:

Children’s Choir for Grades 1 – 6 starts at 6 pm and the kids usually do 2 musicals a year. They also do extra fun activities that are only for the children’s choir members.

7 PM – Royal Ambassadors – Boys Grades 1 – 6

Girls in Action – Girls Grades 1 – 6

(The boys and girls study about missions both in our country and all over the world. They correspond with missionaries and do different things to make up money to send them for support. They also do different missions projects here in their own community to help others in need.)

There are also several children’s activities planned during the year where they can be kids and just have fun!

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Youth Department and Ministries

The Youth meet each Sunday morning at 9:30 am, and they meet in the Family Life Center in the Youth Room from 6:45 – 8:00 pm on Wednesday night for their own special service.

On Sundays at 5 pm our Minister of Music leads Youth Choir. It is totally made up of youth and they sing Contemporary Music that is relevant to their age group.

Our goal as a church is to implement programs for their Christian growth and lead them into the knowledge of a more personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

The Youth also go on several fun activities, retreats, and other events that are outside normal church times.

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Adult Department

Our Adult Department ranges all the way from the Young Married Class to the Senior Adult Class. There are a variety of different classes that a person could choose to attend. You are not necessarily limited by age, but can choose a class in which you feel comfortable attending.

Opportunities for Ministry

Music Ministry

The Director of our Music Ministry is Eric Smith. He oversees a diverse range of choirs on every different level. The following choirs practice each week: Cherub (4-5 yrs), Children (1 – 6 Grades), Youth (7 – 12 Grades), Adult. He would love to have new members for each choir.

Senior Adult Ministry

The Directors of this ministry are Julian and Peggy Shaw. They provide leadership and ministry opportunities, as well as minister to the homebound members of the church who are no longer able to come and be a part of the fellowship. They also provide opportunities for taking trips and doing many different kinds of fellowship activities. This is a very vibrant ministry at our church and the senior adults are a close-knit group.

Women’s Ministries

The director of Women Ministries at Southside is Kim Bartley. The purpose of this ministry is to lead women into developing a closer walk with God and to build lasting friendships with each other that can be carried on outside of church. It is always wonderful to have great times of fellowship as women.

Women’s Missionary Union

The Women on Mission objective is to teach missions to women, girls, and preschoolers; provide ministry to the women and girls of the church; promote relationships between all the women of the church of every age group; and encourage women to be involved in personal missions and church ministry. The director of this ministry is Kim Bartley.

The Youth assemble on Wednesday nights in the family life center at 7pm. David and Angie lead the youth in learning and growing in God’s love. A youth committee helps plan and organize youth events throughout the year.

One event the youth attend is the YOUTH EVANGELISM CONFERENCE (YEC) . The YEC is an annual event for students in 7th – 12th grade. This conference is a statewide opportunity for students and their adult leaders to gather for inspiration and motivation in reaching Alabama youth for Jesus Christ. The ultimate goal is to equip students and their leaders to go back to their communities to share the gospel. That’s the heart of this event. Ephesians 4:15

Women on Mission meets the second Tuesday of every month at 9:30 am at Snellgrove Hall. Our meetings are an inspiration as we have many things during our time. There is always prayers, a program from our magazine of “Missions Mosaic” with prayer patterns for missionaries then of course there is refreshments. Our President is Mrs. Voncile Andrews who leads many to truly understand the need for WMU . Ladies of every age are invited to come join us.

WMU stands for Women’s Mission Organizations. The purpose of WMU is to support, pray and do mission work. WMU leads our church in promoting the Annie Armstrong Easter offing and the Lottie Moon Christmas offering. These offerings are used to assist missionaries in the fields. The WMU do various things for the shut-ins of our church such as Valentine baskets, Easter bags and many more things.

Other groups that are part of WMU are:

Mission Friends (age 3- to 1st grade)

Girls in Action-GA’s (grades 1-6)

Royal Ambassador-RA’s (boys grades 1-6)

ACTEENS (grades 7-12)

***information of these are on youth pages. We invite you to read about them and come join one of these great mission areas***

RA-means “Royal Ambassador” — which is boys grades 1st-6th grade meet at 7pm in RA room which is upstairs above the kitchen in gym (Life Center). The MOTTOis “We are Ambassadors for Christ” —II Corinthians 5:20.

The RA program ‘s mission is to teach and help grow our young men in knowledge and a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. This is accomplished through the teaching of God’s Word the Bible. The Young men are also taught through the use of various activites and events.

GA– means ” girls in action”–which is for girls grades 1st – 6th which meet 7pm in Family Life Center, in the 2nd room on left upon entering building.

GA’s learn about missionaries, do mission projects and pray for the Southern Baptist missionaries. Always on Wednesday meetings there is a mission lesson and / or project. Completing their night with a special snack and fellowship.